Masseter Positional Inhibition Technique: Relieve Facial Pain

TMD and Facial pain can be very debilitating! Unless you've experienced it yourself, it's hard to imagine having pain speaking, eating, and even smiling.

It can be very isolating and it's even more difficult to "distance" yourself from the pain. When your head and face hurts, it's more like YOU are actually in pain as opposed to "my ankle hurts."

To desensitize the masseter and make opening and chewing more comfortable, an effective technique is Positional Inhibition. A simple slacking of the skin often reduces tone and tenderness and should be completely pain free. Contrast that to dropping a needle in a trigger point and it has the same effect, plus you don't have to sell it.

Another use for PI is if mobilizations are indicated, but not able to be tolerated due to painful/limited opening.

Recovery Plan exercises after this are resisted mandible depression hourly to continue to inhibit the masseter and/or cervical retraction with mandible protraction 10 times/hour.

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Keeping it Eclectic...